Talon Karrde
Talon Karrde was a human male smuggler and information broker who dominated the underworld market in information thoughout the early years of the New Republic. Born in 32 BBY on Corellia, Karrde was brought up in a modest income and always wished more for himself. He began a career in his early adulthood, but never claimed much monetary success. Karrde would later have a son named after himself in 9 BBY via a woman named Maria, whom he would marry for a brief period of time. Karrde soon began his smuggling career in the organization of Jeorge Cardas, where he moved quickly through the ranks to become one of Cardas's top lieutenants. When Cardas disappeared in 0 BBY, Karrde quickly and quietly took over the organization to avoid internal feuding. The smuggling and information-brokering organization was already formidable, and when Jabba Desilijic Tiure was killed in 4 ABY, Karrde was able to pick up the most pieces and guide his group to the top spot in the smuggling world. Known as an honest and honorable man, Karrde kept a low profile despite his lofty underworld position. In 9 ABY, Karrde was drawn into the Galactic Civil War, in which he had previously avoided taking sides, when he rescued Luke Skywalker from being stranded in deep space and helped Skywalker avoid capture by Imperial leader Grand Admiral Thrawn, though only after his hand was forced. Thrawn placed a bounty on Karrde, driving him to sell the location of the Katana fleet, a secret he had kept since his days in Car'das's employ, to the New Republic. Karrde then organized the Smugglers' Alliance to represent the smugglers to the New Republic and aid in the battle against Thrawn. When Thrawn was defeated, Karrde remained a valued ally of Skywalker and the Solos but was not trusted by the New Republic leadership as a whole due to his shady past. Biography Early life Talon Karrde was born in 32 BBY on Corellia in the city Tyrena, though Karrde himself always kept his birthworld secret as he felt it would cause others to label him politically. Karrde was brought up in a modest income, but always wished more for himself. He entered into a life of crime as a young man, but was unable to claim much monetary success for many years. After Karrde's girlfriend, Maria, gave birth to a son named Talon Jr. in 9 BBY, the two were married for a brief period of time. Karrde soon found himself in the employ of Jeorge Cardas, the leader of a smuggling and information-brokering gang. There, Karrde rose through the ranks, gaining much experience in both the smuggling and information-selling trades. In 6 BBY, Karrde was serving as a navigator and sensor specialist aboard one of Car'das's ships under a captain named Hoffner and ultimately served under Hoffner for two years. On one smuggling mission, Karrde plotted a short blind jump to escape determined pursuit by a pair of ''Carrack''-class cruisers. The jump landed them directly in front of a ''Dreadnaught''-class cruiser. Terrified, the ship fled once more, wrecking its hyperdrive in the blind jump and killing several of the crew. It was only when Karrde later examined the sensor records that he realized there had been hundreds of Dreadnaughts present; he had found the legendary lost Katana fleet. He memorized the coordinates before erasing them from the ship's navigation computer and did not believe any of the other crewmen knew the location. He knew the discovery could make him a rich man, but he did not yet have the resources to adequately exploit his discovery.Dark Force Rising Karrde also piloted in his early career, drawing a young Ellor into helping him make a smuggling run at one point and so pulling the Duros into the smuggling life.The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook Personality and traits Talon Karrde had a passion for information and felt it could be a powerful asset, sometimes more important than brute force. He felt himself to be a sophisticated and genteel individual and avoided violence whenever possible, but was not averse to engaging in it when necessary. He had a strong sense of humor, leading to his tendency to place puns in the names of his ships, and frequently in his pseudonyms as well. Karrde did not believe in displays of wealth and power, instead preferring to remain inconspicuous and avoid drawing possible foes. He did not hold strong personal grudges, realizing that foes could become allies if it was profitable, he was friendly and charismatic toward friends and enemies alike. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, he was perceived as calculating and mercenary by many of his peers. He also had no desire to ally himself with either side of the Galactic Civil War, instead playing both sides off each other. When he was reluctantly drawn onto the New Republic's side, he was resentful of his growing entanglement. He continued to serve the New Republic on only a mercenary basis, though others felt he was in self-denial about his loyalty to the New Republic. When the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy, however, he came down firmly on the New Republic's side, fighting for his life. Karrde lived by a strict code of honor, providing protection for all who were his guests regardless of how he felt about them and was determined to keep his word. He detested slavery and kidnapping and refused to engage in either. This was recognized by his peers, who felt him to be as close to trustworthy as a fringer could be. Karrde was fiercely loyal to his personnel and dedicated to their protection. When he gave his word, he was absolutely dedicated to keeping it, even at heavy personal cost to himself. He treated his employees extremely well, earning their respect and devotion in turn. He was known as someone who should not be crossed, and his retribution was feared. He would not tolerate any mistreatment of his people whatsoever and extracted heavy punishments for harm done to members of his organization. He would not hire bounty hunters, however, preferring to do his own dirty work. Appearances }} Notes and references Category:Males Category:Humans Category:Information brokers Category:Business owners and executives Category:Smugglers Category:Inhabitants of Corellia Category:Authors Category:Karrde family